


Melancholia

by boomerluke



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Drama, Ashton buys weird stuff at 7am, Bottom Luke, Bottom Luke Hemmings, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Lashton - Freeform, Luke Hemmings Loves Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin Smut, Luke works at a grocery store, M/M, Oral Sex, Recreational Drug Use, Risk Taking, Rough Sex, Top Ashton Irwin, Toxic Relationship, Virgin Luke Hemmings, mysterious ashton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29668644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomerluke/pseuds/boomerluke
Summary: "You make me feel things I never knew I could feel.""Is that a good or bad thing?""I don't know."Or the one where Luke is a cashier at the local grocery store and Ashton buys weird things at 7:45 am.tw: drug abuse, violence, sex
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford/Calum Hood
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Luke woke up on the ninth day of his summer vacation to an ultimatum. He'd spent the night and early hours of the morning playing _Fortnite_ with Michael, and to say he was annoyed to be woken up at 2pm would be an understatement. But there Liz Hemmings stood, hands on her hips and a choice: Luke could either spend the rest of break in Idaho helping his grandpa with his garden, or he could get a summer job. And that's how Luke ended up working at the local Jolly Mart feeling anything less than jolly.

Even on his best days, Luke was far from a morning person. So when the overweight pimply manager, Brian, assigned him to the 5am shift, Luke was already ready to quit. He was seventeen for gods' sakes! He should be spending his final summer vacation before graduation driving around aimlessly with Michael and hitting on the girl that worked at the local Dairy Queen.

Liz didn't agree.

"You need to learn some responsibility," She huffed, picking up the dirty laundry scattered around his floor. "Just because you're the baby of the family doesn't mean I don't expect some level of maturity from you," her point was made as she found a half eaten bowl of crusty mac n cheese hidden under a pile of dirty briefs.

"But mom!" Luke whined, dragging out her name as he followed her around aimlessly. He looked like a lost puppy. "Michael and I've been planning that camping trip next month since we were like, seven! How am I supposed to go now?" He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. He and his best friend had been planning the ultimate pre-senior year camping trip for years, and now his greasy haired, watery eyed manager was going to ruin it all.

"Well, you best put in your vacation request early then." Is all she said before leaving his room, laundry basket under her arm. Luke groaned, throwing himself back on his bed. Deep down Luke knew he didn't have it that bad. Liz had never made him do chores growing up and she regularly cleaned his room for him. All she was asking from Luke was to show her she had raised him to be a capable, responsible young adult. But the prospect of that was still too much when Luke had to wake up at 4:30 just to get to work on time.

"This is child abuse!" He yelled, and he heard Liz laugh.

"Honey, you don't know the first thing about child abuse. Now bring down the dishes in your room before they grow mold!"

* * *

His first week of work had been hell. He was overtired and grouchy, and he'd planned Brian's murder at least ten times over in his head. If he was told to smile one more time, he was sure he'd be calling his mom from a jail cell.

He had to admit, it wasn't a difficult job. Scan items, bag them, handle the transaction. But that was the problem. It was so easy, Luke could do it in his sleep. And that's how he regularly found himself almost falling asleep behind his station.

"Luke!" Brian's nasal voice called, making Luke jump from where he was slouched against his register. "New coupon codes for the week." A binder was shoved in Luke's hands and it took all of his patience to not roll his eyes.

"Okay." he said, hoping that was all his boss needed and would now leave him alone.

"Also,"

Luke groaned, but turned back to his boss with bored eyes.

"I got your vacation request yesterday and I'll be looking over the schedule next week."

"Okay?" Luke asked, completely unsure as to why Brian even had to mention it if he hadn't even made a decision yet. Sometimes Luke wondered if Brian just talked so that someone had to listen.

Brian nodded, turning back around and wobbling towards his office. Luke didn't hide his eye roll this time.

He worked his shift on autopilot. He'd been working at the Jolly Mart for a week now and he'd already became a robot. Smile, scan, bag, repeat.

His morning ran on in that fashion, Luke pretending to smile at the elderly women who came in each day to buy scratchers and day's old bread at half price, and calling over his manager for coupon codes. Only half of the time did he actually forget the codes, the other half he was just seeing how many times it took before Brian broke a sweat running from his office to station 11.

By 7:45, Luke was beyond ready to take off his vest in 15 minutes. It was only 8 in the morning and Luke was already prepared to call it a night. He couldn't wait to clock out and jump into bed for the rest of the day. Liz couldn't even complain, he was doing what she wanted after all.

He dragged his arms through 13 minutes of work before his eyes were ripped from the clock over the self checkout lines. A tall honey haired boy setting down a .75mL bottle of Jamaican bourbon, a box of frozen toaster waffles, and tape caught his eye. Luke only saw his profile, but it was hard to look away. Luke didn't know why, but he felt his eyes locked on the couple days worth of stubble framing his jaw and the way his large hand ran through his tousled curls. He was dressed to blend in, with a large red hoodie and black jeans, but he still managed to stand out. He wasn't sure if it was the boy's looks that caught his attention or the odd collection of items he was buying, but he was intrigued nonetheless.

The first of Luke's interactions with the boy was simple enough, just the briefest moment of eye contact and the hint of a smile, but it was enough to leave Luke wanting more. He didn't know when he'd next see him, but he hoped it wouldn't be long.

And his hopes were answered as two days later the boy walked in at exactly 7:45am to buy a bag of beef jerky, paper towels, and a single mango.

It went on like that for the next few days, with increasingly weird purchases and longer and longer eye contact. Luke wasn't sure why he couldn't take his eyes off of the strange boy, and he chalked it up to the odd combination of items he always bought.

A pack of lighters here, a bag of sugar there, the occasional bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Luke found himself waiting anxiously each morning at 7:45am to see if the honey haired boy would walk through the self checkout lanes across from him. On his 14th morning working at the Jolly Mart, the nice routine of subtle eye contact was broken.

"Good morning!" A chipper voice broke Luke from his staring contest with the clock and his breath caught in his throat as he noticed the strange boy standing across from him for the first time.

"Um, hi." Luke had always been a shy kid, but standing across from the boy he'd spent the last week staring at, he cursed himself for his awkwardness.

The boy sat down a pack of _Marlboro_ cigarettes, a bunch of bananas, a pack of _Pop-tarts_ , and a 6-pack of _Coors Banquets._ Luke tried not to stare as he scanned the items.

"Can I um, see some I.D?" Luke gestured to the pack of cigarettes and the beer and the boy only nodded as he pulled out his wallet and handed him the small piece of plastic. He tried not to study it too intensely as he did the mental math to calculate his age, but he couldn't help it.

_Ashton Irwin, 21 years old, 6'1", hazel eyes and brown hair._

Ashton. Luke rolled the name around in his head. It was fitting. "Thanks," Luke cringed at how awkward he sounded as he handed the card back, his cold fingers brushing against warm skin. He pulled his hand back.

His eyes flitted to Ashton's face, a small smirk playing at the corner of his full pink lips. Luke felt the color rising up his neck and he cleared his throat as he looked away, focusing intently on the register as he totaled up the purchase.

"That'll be 21.49." Luke said as he bagged the items, stopping only to take the $25 cash from Ashton, being sure not to touch his skin again.

Luke fumbled with the cash drawer, the blush of his skin only rising at how long it took him to count out the change. He could see Ashton watching him from the corner of his eye, and it made his hands shake even more. He didn't know why he was acting this way. Luke had never been so _nervous_ around someone before. Not since he asked Missy Tegan to the homecoming dance his sophomore year.

The thought alone was enough to cause Luke's stomach to twist and he shoved the change into Ashton's hand with a rushed "Have a good day."

"Thanks, _Luke_. You too." Ashton's eyes went from Luke's name tag up to his face before sending the boy a smile and walking away.

Luke let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, and even though he still had 2 minutes left in his shift, he took off his apron and clocked out.

Little did he know at the time that the small 5 minute encounter with Ashton Irwin was only the beginning. 


	2. Chapter 2

The one thing Luke hates the most about the state of Washington is the weather. Everyone knows about the rain, but they forget to mention the _cold._

Even though it was the middle of June, it felt like it was the beginning of October as Luke pulled into the parking lot of the Jolly mart at 4:58 am. He knew he was about to get chewed out by Brian for not arriving for his shift more than 10 minutes early, but Brian could eat a dick. It was pitch black and freezing cold. Sue Luke for wanting to sleep in an extra 15 minutes.

Luke could feel Brian's eyes glaring into his back as he clocked in and dragged his feet to station 11. His apron was crumpled under his register, and he quickly pulled it on. He hated the moss green smock almost as much as he hated having to wake up this early.

"Luke," Brian's nasally voice called out 30 minutes into his shift, and Luke groaned.

"Yes?" Luke had long since attempted to suck up to his manager and instead turned to look at him with glazed over eyes.

"I've reviewed your time off request." A sheet of paper was thrust into Luke's chest and he skimmed it.

"Four days? Seriously?" Luke scoffed as he pushed the paper into his pocket.

"Well, you requested off on a busy week." Brian shrugged, crossing his big arms across his chest to reveal large yellow sweat stains on the crisp white dress shirt.

Luke quirked an eyebrow. "The third week in July?" He knew Brian was bullshitting him, he just liked wielding power over the others. Even if it was just over the college drop outs and high school kids that worked the registers.

"Yep. Now get to work." Brian didn't stick around to watch Luke not so discreetly flip him off behind his back. As soon as he was out of sight, Luke pulled out his phone to text Michael.

**To: Big Cliff-O**

_Bad news. Only got 4 days_ _off for the trip. RIP_

With a frustrated sigh, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and began his shift. Michael wouldn't be awake until well after Luke's shift ended, so there was no point waiting for a reply.

To say Luke was disappointed would be an understatement. Luke and Michael had been planning this trip for months, and to know they wouldn't be able to embark on the 'journey into manhood' (as Michael liked to call it) like they had originally planned was a bummer. At least Brian had given Luke those 4 days... they would just have to make the most out of it.

Luke spent the rest of his shift trying to think up ways of how to salvage their trip, and if he forgot to scan an apple here or there, it was an honest mistake.

He was so caught up in thoughts of his trip with Mike that he barely noticed when the clock struck 7:45am, and like clockwork, Ashton Irwin stood in front of him with a box of _Bandaids_ , a bottle of _Gatorade_ , some instant rice, and coconut _Swisher Sweets_.

"Morning Luke." Ashton's warm voice made Luke's pulse race and his hands shake. He couldn't place why just yet, but he would soon enough.

"Morning Ashton." Luke's voice came out wobbly, and he mentally cursed. He saw Ashton's lip quirk up before it returned to the soft smile he held. Luke averted his eyes to the products as he scanned them. "Can I see your I.D again?"

"C'mon now, Lu, you should know how old I am by now." Ashton teased but handed over his I.D anyways. Luke was sure there was a pinkish hue to his skin as he input Ashton's birthday in the register. 

_Lu._ He usually hated it when his mom called him that, but for whatever reason, he loved the way it sounded coming from Ashton. "S-sorry, protocol, you know?"

Ashton giggled. _Giggled._ "I know, I'm just messing with you."

Luke flushed as he nodded, returning Ashton's I.D and once again feeling a tingle run through his fingers as they touched Ashton's warm skin. "Oh."

Oh? That's all he could come up with? God, he was pathetic. 

Ashton returned his I.D to his pocket and quirked up an eyebrow, a smug smirk pulling at his pink, plump lips. "Luke?"

"What?" Luke winced as he dragged his eyes away from Ashton's mouth and to his rich, hazel eyes. He was used to being awkward, but not _this_ awkward. There was just something about Ashton that brought it out in him. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. 

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He held up a crisp $20 bill and Luke facepalmed. He could practically feel the heat climbing up his neck and cheeks.

"Oh, fuck, sorry, yeah, $19.73."

Ashton giggled again as Luke handed him the money and Luke wanted to melt into a puddle right on the floor. God, was he embarrassed.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Ashton took his bag from Luke and let his fingers linger over the blonde's for an extra moment. "Happy for the extra time with you."

And yeah, okay, Luke was _definitely_ blushing now. His breath caught in his throat and his stomach twisted. This was new to him. Another boy had never made him _blush_ before, and Luke didn't know what to make of it. 

"Have a good day, Ashton."

The honey haired boy smiled. "You too, Luke."

* * *

"What the fuck?" Were the first words Luke heard when he answered Michael's call.

He sighed, rolling over in bed and running a hand through his tousled hair. "I know."

"What the _fuck?_ " Michael's voice raised and Luke just nodded.

"I know, I know." Ten hours later and Luke was still just as pissed at Brian as when he was handed back his time off request.

"What are we supposed to do now?"

Luke had been asking himself that the whole day. Luckily, he'd come up with a plan while at work.

"Well, I figured we could probably skip out right after I finish work that Tuesday so we can spend the day on the road and then since I don't work on Sunday we could pack up and drive back early Monday morning as long as I can get Trina to cover my shift that morning. That way it's almost the full trip?" Luke bit at his lip like he always did when he was nervous. He hated disappointing people; he always had.

Michael sighed, "Yeah, as long as you can get off that should work, I mean we have the camp site reserved until Tuesday morning so cutting out a day early should be fine."

"I'm sorry dude, I honestly didn't expect this shit. I hate this job" Luke groaned as he wrapped his duvet tighter around his body and snuggled into his pillow.

"It's fine, we'll make it work. But c'mon, Luke, it's not the worst job in the world."

Luke rolled his eyes. His mom had said the same thing when he'd complained to her about it all. "Pretty sure it is."

Even though Luke couldn't see the look on his best friend's face, he could picture it. He knew Michael was rolling his eyes into the back of his head and screwing up his mouth.

"You're exaggerating. There's gotta be something about it that doesn't suck."

The image of a honey haired, giggling Ashton came to his mind and his lip quirked up at the corners. Seeing Ashton on a regular basis definitely didn't suck, in fact, it was regularly the highlight of his days. The feeling that ran through Luke's body at the mere thought of Ashton was enough to make him squirm. He couldn't make sense of it, and that terrified him. 

The last time Luke felt like this was sophomore year when Missy kissed him behind the bleachers at a football game. He felt giddy, and the fact that it was about a _boy_ was something Luke wasn't quite prepared to deal with yet. All he knew right now was that seeing Ashton made him _happy._

"It's not all bad I suppose."

"See? Told you. Now hop online, we've got a mission to finish." 


	3. Chapter 39

It took Luke 15 days of working at the Jolly Mart and 10 interactions with Ashton to finally ask the question he had been wondering since day one.

He was currently scanning through two rolls of paper towel, a gallon of orange juice, Brussel sprouts, a bottle of maple syrup, and a pack of _Magnum_ condoms. Luke had to look away when he got to the last item and try his hardest not to blush.

"Why do you always buy such weird things?" Luke didn't mean to ask it so abruptly, but the words were out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying. He immediately dropped his head down, feeling his face heat up as Ashton chuckled. God, could he stop being embarrassing around the older boy for _five minutes?_

"Since when are these weird things?" Ashton had a goofy smile on his face as he gestured to the conveyor belt in front of him. Luke shook his head.

"They aren't I just meant, like, in combination they are..." Luke trailed off as he took the $30 from Ashton's hand and began to make change.

"My roommate says the same thing. Thinks everyone that works here must think I'm psycho."

Luke laughed as he handed his change back, and shivered as Ashton curled up his fingers to touch the skin of Luke's hand.

"Your hands are always so cold," Ashton pocketed the change, but made no move to leave Luke's station. He tilted his head, large eyes roaming Luke's face. The younger boy couldn't help but notice the dark purple circles under his eyes.

"I, uh, yeah," Luke fumbled, looking around and noticing just how empty the store is. Only the occasional early bird shopper ambled around the aisles, and Luke knew no one would notice him slacking off for a couple minutes. "I have bad circulation I guess."

Ashton nodded, his eyes continuing to study Luke's face, and the blonde shifted around in his shoes. He wasn't used to this type of attention and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Ashton broke the moment of silence with a deep breath. He looked out the front windows that were now illuminating the store with a soft morning glow before returning his attention to the blonde in front of him.

"So, Luke," he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and if Luke didn't know any better, he'd say Ashton looked... _nervous_? "You wanna get out of here?"

Luke was not expecting that.

He furrowed his eyebrows and let his eyes shoot up to meet Ashton's. "I- what?"

The toothy smile was back on Ashton's face as he bit his lip. " _Casey's_ has two for one slurpees today, and you look to me like a cherry Coke kinda guy. So, whatcha say?"

Luke's mouth opened and closed his mouth like a fish. His mind told him this was a bad idea, but for whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Instead, "My shift isn't over yet." He glanced up at the clock, and he was right. He still had ten minutes left.

Ashton took that as a yes, his smile growing wider. "So? It's only ten minutes. C'mon, skip out with me." He reached out his hand and wiggled his fingers. His caramel eyes were twinkling, as if they were testing Luke, and for the first time in Luke's life, he wasn't afraid.

"Okay."

Luke was never one to take risks, so when the word left his lips, he was taken aback. He barely even knew this boy, nothing more than the jovial conversation here and there, yet here he was breaking the rules to spend time with him. Luke didn't understand it, but judging by the smile on Ashton's face, he could tell he made the right decision. His stomach fluttered as he glanced around, making sure Brian was no where to be found as he removed his smock and clocked out. 

"There we go!" Ashton chuckled, clapping as Luke grabbed his wrist and hurried them out of the sliding glass doors before anyone could see.

"Oh god, why do I feel like I just robbed a bank or something." Luke bent over laughing as they made their way into the parking lot. The chill of the early morning was now lost to the clear, sunny sky and Luke could feel himself already beginning to sweat.

"Probably because you're a goody two shoes." Ashton teased, poking Luke's bottom lip that was pouted out.

" _Hey!_ You don't even know me."

Ashton smiled, "You're right, but I want to." Luke couldn't help the blush that rose to his cheeks. "C'mon," Ashton reached out and grabbed Luke's wrist, and he couldn't help but notice the way the older boy's fingers wrapped all the way around. It made Luke's breath hitch.

"Let me put my bag away and then we can go." He led them towards a small black car and unlocked it, throwing the bag carelessly into the backseat before turning towards Luke. "Okay, let's go."

Luke couldn't help but notice the way Ashton hesitated before letting go of his wrist. He turned towards the sidewalk and began walking. Luke bit his lip before he caught up with Ashton, matching his pace as they walked down the road towards the gas station.

After a couple minutes of comfortable silence, Ashton spoke up. "So, Luke, tell me about yourself."

Luke ducked his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. If he'd known he was going to be spending time with Ashton, he would have worn something other than torn jeans and an Old Navy t-shirt.

"What do you want to know?"

Ashton shook his head. "No, no. I want you to tell me what _you_ want me to know."

Luke bit his lip as he kicked at a few pebbles on the sidewalk. "Um, well..." Luke didn't know what to say. There was nothing overly exciting to tell Ashton, and that embarrassed him. He was as average as average came for a teenage boy, and he knew that wouldn't impress the older boy.

"I'm 17, I go to West High... um, I only got this stupid job because my mom made me," Ashton laughed at that and Luke felt pride bubble up in his chest. He'd actually made Ashton _laugh_.

"And I like video games."

"Wow, sounds like you're the typical boy next door." Ashton knocked Luke's shoulder and the younger boy shrugged.

"I know, pretty boring..."

"Hey now, I didn't say that. Everyone's got something exciting about them." The gas station came into view.

Luke shook his head. "Not me."

"I don't believe that." Ashton held the door open to the gas station and guided Luke inside. The air conditioning hit Luke like a wall and he shivered. "Guess I just gotta figure out for myself what makes you exciting." The fluttering returned to Luke's stomach and he looked away so Ashton wouldn't see the way his words affected the younger one.

"I guess so," Is all Luke could get out before he focused his attention on the slushy machine. "So, what's your go to flavor?"

Ashton hummed, coming to stand a little too close to Luke. "I'm usually a Dreamsicle man myself," He picked up one of the large cups and began filling it with Cherry Coke. "but I think you could change my mind."

Luke blushed, picking up his own cup and beginning to fill it with the orange slushy. Ashton quirked up an eyebrow, smiling.

"An adventurer. See? Already something exciting I've learned about you."

Luke laughed, turning towards the front of the store and pulling out his wallet.

"No, no," Ashton plucked the wallet from Luke's hand and held it behind his back. "It's on me."

"No, I can't let you pay for me," Luke insisted, but Ashton just shook his head.

"Trust me on this." Ashton smiled, hopping up on the front counter and ringing the bell. Luke quirked an eyebrow.

"You rang your highness?" Sarcasm dripped from the soft voice before a dark haired boy made his way from the back. His name tag read _Calum_ and Luke thought it was a fitting name. The blonde boy gave him a once over, taking in his tattoo covered arms and the smell of cigarettes that filled the air around him. He must have just come in from his break.

"Hey Cal," Ashton sucked on his straw and kicked his legs out in front of him. "Luke and I got slushees. You got me?"

Cal rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging on his lips as he crossed his large arms across his chest. "So this is the famous Luke, huh?"

Ashton talked about him? A blush climbed up Luke's neck as Calum gave him a once over. Luke looked over in time to see Ashton scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. He could tell the older boy was embarrassed, and it made Luke feel better knowing that he got embarrassed, too.

"Shut the fuck up and take care of this, yeah?" Ashton hopped off of the counter and ambled towards the door. "I'll see you at home."

Luke awkwardly waved at the boy behind the counter before following Ashton out of the door and back into the hot summer sun.

"So is that your roommate?" Luke took a sip of his slushy and hummed in surprise at the sweet taste. He'd never tried the orange slushy before, but it definitely wouldn't be the last time.

"Yeah, been best friends since middle school." Ashton laughed like he was remembering some inside joke. Luke was chewing on his straw as they walked. He didn't know where they were going, but he had an idea that Ashton did.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a small park. It wasn't much, just a simple metal slide, a couple swings and a bench. Ashton made his way to one of the swings and took a seat. He gestured for Luke to do the same.

"Do you mind?"

Luke looked over to see Ashton holding up a pack of cigarettes and he shook his head. "No, go ahead." Ashton nodded, setting down his slushy and shaking out a cigarette. Luke tried not to stare at the way it hung between Ashton's lips as he lit it and inhaled. Ashton must have noticed the way Luke was staring, as he turned to face him with a small smile.

"You want one?" He held out the pack and Luke immediately shook his head.

"No, no I've never, uh, no." Luke tried to hide his embarrassment behind a cough and Ashton laughed.

"Do you want to?"

Luke was ready to say no, but he hesitated. He was 17 years old and he'd never took a risk. Never drank, never did drugs, never had sex... When he told Ashton he was boring, he wasn't kidding. Luke Hemmings was the definition of a prude and it was _embarrassing._

"I..." Luke thought about it. What was the harm in one cigarette? At least he could say he'd tried it. "Sure."

Ashton had an impressed look on his face as he handed over a cigarette to Luke who just stared at it.

"How do I, um?" Luke gestured to the cigarette and Ashton chuckled, grabbing Luke's hand and positioning it between his first two fingers. Instead of making Luke feel inexperienced and embarrassed, Ashton helped him through it, showing him how to light it and breath it in.

"There you go, now hold it for a second, yeah like that. Okay, now exhale."

Luke's lungs were burning and he sputtered out a cough as Ashton patted his back. He quickly took a sip of his slushy, trying to hide the redness of his cheeks behind his large cup.

"Not so bad, right?" Luke nodded, hesitantly bringing the cigarette back to his lips and taking a hit. His hands began to shake as the nicotine coursed through his limbs, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Luke enjoyed the buzzing in his head.

Luke shook his head and Ashton smiled, both boys falling into a comfortable silence as they puffed away.

"Ashton?" Luke had a question burning in his mind since he first saw the honey haired boy and he needed to ask it, "why do you always shop so at the same time?"

The older boy shrugged, flicking the end of his cigarette into the wood chips below. "I work 3rd shift at a factory on the East side. I usually just get off work and head on over for what I need."

Luke nodded, "Man, that must fucking suck."

Ashton laughed, shrugging. "It's not so bad when you get used to it. I hate having to sleep through the days though, especially since the weather has been so nice lately. I've honestly just found myself staying awake more often so if you see me buying energy drinks next time you'll know why." The older boy joked and Luke laughed.

"You have enough?" Ashton gestured to the half smoked cigarette dangling between Luke's fingers, watching the embers burning away. Luke's mind was swimming from his first intake of nicotine, and he nodded. The older boy gently plucked the cigarette from his fingers, taking a couple more puffs before throwing it into the wood chips and stomping it out. "Luke?"

"Hmm?" Luke slurped up the final remanence of his slurpy before putting it on the ground.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" The younger boy's cheeks burned as he shook his head. He'd never had a girlfriend before. Not because he didn't want to, but because he just hadn't found _the right_ girl... at least that's what he told himself.

"A boyfriend?" Luke choked on his breath and he ducked his head down, fiddling with his fingers. Honestly, the thought had never really crossed Luke's mind. Sure, he'd found himself staring at the occasional guy here or there, but he always chalked it up to jealousy.

"No, no, I-" Luke stopped himself and just shook his head. He didn't know what to say.

"Good to know." Luke could hear the smirk in the older boy's voice even though he wasn't looking at him.

"W-what, um, what about you?" Luke worked up the courage to look up at Ashton and saw him smiling. He took out another cigarette as he shook his head.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend." He lit the cigarette and took a deep breath. Luke blushed at Ashton's blatant admission. He never would have guessed Ashton was gay. For whatever reason, the thought sent Luke's heart racing. He chalked it up to the nicotine. "Haven't in a long time. Guess I'm just not really the relationship type," Ashton shrugged.

They once again fell into silence as Ashton smoked another cigarette and Luke swung his legs.

"Thanks for coming with me today, I'm sure you had better things you could have done."

"Not really," Luke laughed, kicking at the wood chips under his _Converse_ , "Michael- my best friend- he's not even awake yet so I'd probably just be sleeping until he comes to wake me up."

"Well, I'm glad I could keep you company until then."

Luke blushed as Ashton swung over and knocked his shoulder. "What about you? I'm sure you've got better things to do than hang out with a high schooler that works at the _Jolly Mart."_ Ashton belted out a laugh.

"You'd be surprised, Luke." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and furrowed as he read a message. "Well," He sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket and standing up. "I have some errands to run. Let me walk you back to your car?"

Luke felt disappointed that his time with Ashton was coming to a close, but he knew it had to happen eventually. It was nearly 10 am already and Luke's mom would be wondering where he was. He stood up, throwing his empty cup into the trashcan nearby and following Ashton back towards the grocery store.

It was quiet as they walked, and Luke couldn't help but focus on the way the back of Ashton's hand brushed against his. Before Luke was ready, they were standing in the parking lot.

"Thanks for today, Luke. I had a good time." Ashton leaned in, taking Luke off guard as he wrapped him in a hug. Hesitantly, Luke wrapped his arms around the older boy and hugged him back.

"You too, Ash." It slipped out of his mouth without a thought and Luke froze when his mind caught up.

"Ash?" Ashton asked as he pulled away, a cheeky smile on his face. "I like it." He took a step away, grabbing his keys from his pocket and unlocking his car. He climbed in, and started it up, rolling down his window. "See ya soon, _Lu_."

Luke felt like an idiot as he waved goodbye to Ashton, the goofy grin not leaving his face even after his car left the lot. Once Ashton was out of sight, Luke made his way to his car, getting in and beginning his drive home.

For the first time since he started work, Luke came home with a wide grin, surprising his mom as she sat folding laundry.

"How was work?" Liz asked, expecting the same answer she got on a regular basis; _horrible._ The faintest hint of cigarette smoke clung to Luke's clothes and Liz

But Luke was full of surprises. He sighed in content, thinking back to how good Ashton's skin felt rubbing against his own. He couldn't help the smile that played on his lips as his fingers ran against the back of his hand.

" _Exciting_."


	4. Chapter 4

Luke hadn't seen Ashton for almost a week and he was growing concerned. It wasn't like the older boy to go so long without popping into the store. After the morning they spent together, Luke was excited to see Ashton again, but each day he was disappointed. The blonde would be lying if he said he didn't look forward to seeing Ashton each day, and without his visits, Luke was growing to resent his job even more. Ashton was like the sun that peeked out on a cloudy day, and without his sun, Luke was feeling cold and dark.

Each passing day without visits from Ashton, Luke remembered why he hated the _Jolly Mart._ It was like Brian was testing every bit of patience Luke had as he lead the weekly team meeting, sweat bulleting down his neck and filling the room with the scent of B.O. His nasally voice drove into Luke like spikes and the boy had to do everything in his power not to laugh when Brian realized his fly was down.

"Hey there, stranger," Luke was broken out of his daydream at exactly 7:45 by a familiar voice. For the first time in a week, Luke smiled. "Long time no see."

Ashton placed down a bottle of tequila, a bag of string cheese, broccoli, and toothpicks.

"Hi!" Luke didn't mean to sound over enthusiastic, but he couldn't help it. He was. He let his eyes flick up to take in Ashton's appearance, and he frowned. There was a big yellowish purple bruise ringing his right eye and although he had a small smile on his face, it was obviously forced. Luke scanned the items one by one, taking his time so that he had more time to spend with Ashton.

"What happened to your eye?" Luke wasn't sure if the question was too forward for two people who hung out once (friends?), but he asked anyways. He'd never had much of a filter.

"Oh," The smile on Ashton's face dropped for a split second before it returned. "Had a bad run in with some stairs, no big deal." The smile on his face was extra forced and Luke figured it was probably best to drop it, so he just nodded.

"So, Luke," Ashton spoke up as Luke rung up the total. Luke looked up, his eyes meeting a pair of mischievous hazel ones. "what are you doing right now?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well right now I'm bagging your groceries..." He trailed off, watching the smile widen on Ashton's face.

"I meant after that, dummy." Ashton's teasing tone made Luke himself smile and the blonde boy felt himself blush for the millionth time in front of Ashton.

"Oh, I was just gonna go to the comic book store with Michael, but that's about it..." Luke shrugged, ringing up Ashton's total and taking the cash he was handed.

"You wanna get out of here?" The smirk on Ashton's face was enticing, and Luke would be lying if he said he wasn't interested. He made change for Ashton, handing it back before meeting Ashton's gaze.

"What did you have in mind?" Ashton's eyes lit up and Luke decided he never wanted to see that fire die. The caramel eyes ran over every inch of Luke's face, and he became self conscious of the small acne marks around his chin.

"Come with me and you'll find out." He held his hand out for the younger boy, and even though he still had 10 minutes left in his shift, he found himself removing his apron and clocking out. Without hesitation, Ashton grabbed Luke's hand in his larger one, pulling the boy out of the store and around the corner.

"Shit, I think my manager saw me walk out!" Luke huffed once they were safely nestled on the side of the building and away from the windows. He looked down, noticing that Ashton still held onto his hand, but he didn't say anything. He liked the feel of the warm, calloused hand in his.

"Who cares." Ashton laughed, pulling Luke towards his car. "Did you drive here today?" Luke shook his head.

"My mom's car was in the shop, so she took mine."

"Good, we can take mine." Ashton smiled, unlocking his car and opening the door for the younger boy. Luke fell into the passenger seat, inhaling deeply and taking in the smell of _Ashton_ : warm spice and cigarette smoke.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked once Ashton got into the driver's seat and shut the door. The older boy smiled as he backed out of the stall and pulled out onto the road.

"It's a surprise." Luke groaned. He'd always hated surprises. But if the smile on Ashton's face was anything to go by, maybe whatever it was could change his mind.

As Ashton began driving out of town, Luke started thinking about just how much blind faith he was giving to a boy he barely knew. He knew that if Liz Hemmings ever found out that he voluntarily got into the car of a boy he barely knew, he'd be grounded for a month. But he didn't even think twice. There was just something about Ashton that Luke inherently trusted. He knew as long as the older boy was around, nothing bad would happen to him. And maybe he was speaking too soon, but he didn't know that yet. For now, he trusted Ashton. He didn't know why, he just did. And that in of itself scared Luke.

"You ever been cliff diving?" Ashton asked about 25 minutes into their drive. The radio had been playing quietly in the background, tuned to some Indie station blasting soft rock, but neither boy paid it much attention as they just enjoyed the company of one another.

Luke shook his head. He'd never even _thought_ about cliff diving before. Luke thought he'd made it clear to Ashton that he was a pretty boring person, so he was sure the older boy was asking just to be polite.

"Good." The smile on Ashton's face told Luke all he needed to know, and his heart began thumping harder in his chest. Surely Ashton wasn't taking him _cliff diving_... was he?

Luke's question was answered 10 minutes later as Ashton pulled off of the road and onto a dirt path.

"You're not serious?" Luke asked as Ashton parked the car and got out.

"Absolutely." The twinkle in Ashton's eye was devious as he reached into the backseat, grabbing a blanket and his pack of cigarettes. "C'mon." He once again grabbed Luke's hand in his and the younger boy's skin prickled with electricity. The fleeting thought ran through Luke's head that as long as Ashton was holding his hand, he would follow the older boy anywhere. He shook his head, clearing his mind as Ashton led him deeper into the thickets of trees.

It was completely irrational of Luke to trust Ashton so blindly, but he didn't want to question it, in fear that he'd drudge up way more than he wanted to deal with. So he didn't, simply enjoyed the feeling of Ashton's larger hand in his as he was pulled through the woods. They walked for what felt like half an hour, and by the time they made it to the bottom of a steep hill, Luke was winded. The boiling June sun didn't help as the sweat rolled down Luke's back in waves, sticking his t-shirt to his skin.

"Oh my god, I think I'm dying." Luke groaned as Ashton led him up the hill. His legs were burning, and he realized that this was the most physical activity he'd done in years. If Michael could see him now, he would die of laughter.

"Don't be so dramatic," Ashton laughed, tugging harder on the boy's hand to keep up, "If I, a chronic smoker can make it up the hill without keeling over, I think you can too."

Luke laughed, relief filling his body as they finally made it to the top. He took in his surroundings, and it felt like the air was knocked out of him all over again. They were standing on the top of a cliff side overlooking a large, clear lake. The sun shown down on the deep blue water and winked as Luke watched it. The large lake was gorgeous, and Luke noticed down below a few beaches with people lounging around.

"C'mere," Ashton pulled Luke from his awe, guiding him down from the tip top edge and along a lower section of boulders closer to the ground.

"Where are we?" Luke asked, sitting down on the blanket that Ashton laid down.

"Devil's Lake." Ashton grinned, stripping off his own sweat stained shirt and tossing it aside. "It's a state park, but I hate the touristy beach areas," He waved towards the other side of the lake where a couple families were picnicking, "Found this spot one time and now it's my favorite." The older boy grinned taking in the picturesque view in front of them before turning towards Luke with his signature smirk. "You ready?"

"Ready for what?" Luke asked hesitantly. He of course knew exactly what Ashton was asking, but a part of him hoped he was wrong.

"Jumping, duh." Ashton laughed as he stripped out of his jeans, and Luke turned away, his sunburnt cheeks darkening further. Sure, he'd seen plenty of guys changing before; in the locker rooms for gym, at the YMCA, hell even Michael would change in front of him on a semi regular basis, but there was something so intimate about Ashton standing in front of him in only a pair of tight black boxer briefs that Luke flushed.

He couldn't help but let his eyes roam over Ashton's frame, lingering longer on the taught golden muscles that defined his arms and legs. A smattering of hair decorated his chest and his underwear left little to the imagination. The clearing of a throat snapped Luke's eyes back up to Ashton's, and the older boy smirked.

"You coming or what?"

"I-I didn't bring swim trunks," Luke lamely responded, and Ashton laughed.

"Yeah, neither did I." He gestured to his underwear. "Just strip down, no one will notice, I promise."

"I-" Luke paused. His heart was beating erratically in his chest and his thoughts were running wild. "Is it safe?"

Ashton smiled, nodding as he grabbed Luke's hands and helped the boy to his feet. "Yeah, I do it all the time."

Luke nodded, fiddling with the end of his t-shirt. He couldn't believe he was actually contemplating this. It was _so_ unlike him.

"Hey," Ashton's voice was soft as he placed two fingers under Luke's chin and lifted it so that they were looking at each other. Ashton's hazel eyes bore into Luke's and he squirmed under the intense gaze. "it'll be fun, yeah? Take a risk." Luke shuttered as Ashton reached up to push his hair out of his eyes, and the affect wasn't lost on the older boy who smirked.

Without taking any time to second guess himself, Luke nodded. He didn't know how Ashton did it. If it were anyone else standing on this cliff with him, he wouldn't even consider it. But there was just something about Ashton that led him to say _yes._ And he was glad he did, because Ashton's face broke out into a brilliant smile as he clapped his hands together.

"Great! Ok, we'll jump together, yeah? I won't let anything happen to you." Luke nodded, but it didn't stop his fingers from trembling as he removed his shirt followed by his pants. He was left standing in a pair of TMNT boxers and he blushed. Had he known he was going to strip down in front of Ashton today, he would have made sure he wore a pair of underwear that weren't so damn childish.

Ashton's eyes flitted down Luke's legs and he smirked. "Cute." Luke flushed, but didn't have time to respond as Ashton was wrapping his hand around the younger boy's wrist and pulling him towards the edge. "C'mon, let's go."

Luke's heart was beating so erratically in his chest that he was sure it was going to explode. He knew Ashton could feel the shaking of his hands, and the older boy just gripped his wrist tighter. They came to stand on the edge of the boulder, looking down at the water below. It wasn't terribly far, only about 15 meters, but it was enough to make Luke's stomach knot up. Boy, if Michael could see him now.

"You ready?" Ashton knocked Luke out of his thoughts as he brushed his shoulder against the younger boy's, and Luke's staring contest with the dark water below broke as he looked over to the other.

"I-" Luke wanted to say no, to run away from the edge and all the way back to the car, but there was a small part of him that was dying to say _yes._

"Hey," Ashton grabbed Luke's hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. Luke's stomach somersaulted. "I got you, okay?" Luke nodded, returning the squeeze to Ashton's hand that the elder had initiated before turning back to the water. "On the count of three. One... Two..."

Before he even said three, Ashton was pulling the boy beside him forward and jumping off the ledge. Luke didn't even have time to react before he was falling through the air, the least manly scream ever leaving his lips on the way down before he was crashing into the cold water. He coughed as he surfaced, sputtering water and trying to clear the salty water from his eyes.

"See? Fun right." Luke opened his eyes to see a grinning Ashton next to him, a sparkle in his eye as he began floating on his back. Besides the shaking in his limbs, Luke couldn't deny how good the adrenaline spike felt, and he couldn't wait to feel it again. Was he an adrenaline junkie? Maybe Ashton had just unearthed something new that even the boy himself didn't know.

Luke smiled as he pushed his wet hair back from his face and nodded. "Can we do that again?"

And that's how Luke and Ashton spent the next couple of hours, jumping off the cliffs and splashing around in the lake until their fingers pruned up and their muscles were sore from treading water. When the sun found its place high in the early afternoon sky, the boys pulled themselves out of the water, smiles wide as they climbed back up to the top of the cliff and laid down on the blanket Ashton had brought.

"I can't believe I did that." Luke laughed, shaking his head as he laid down, enjoying the way the sun warmed his cool skin. Ashton laughed and Luke sat up, shaking his head. "No, I mean it, I seriously can't believe that _I_ did _that!_ "

Ashton chuckled, pulling a cigarette out of his pack and lighting it. "Well best believe it, Baby." Luke ignored the way his stomach tingled at the pet name. It was a commonly used expression, after all.

"Oh my god, it was such a rush!"

"Hey, there's another exciting thing I learned about you." Ashton poked Luke's side and the younger boy squirmed away with a shriek. "You're an adrenaline junkie."

"Am not," Luke scoffed, but he didn't even believe his words.

"You totally are." Ashton laughed, taking another deep inhale of his cigarette. Luke took a deep breath, really beginning to love the smell. "I'll have to keep that in mind." The conversation drifted off as Ashton continued to puff on his cigarette.

Once he was done, he put out the butt and reached for another. "You want one?" He held out the pack to Luke and the boy shrugged. He couldn't deny how cool Ashton looked laying there, cigarette lazily held between his fingers.

"Sure." Ashton grinned, handing Luke a cigarette and his lighter. The younger boy struggled to get the lighter to work, and Ashton laughed, covering Luke's hand with his own.

"Here, let me show you." He pressed his thumb down over Luke's and pressed down fast, the lighter sparking to life and burning the end of the cigarette. "There ya go," He cooed as Luke took his first drag. Luke didn't necessarily love the way it tasted, but he could definitely understand why Ashton smoked them as the nicotine buzzed through his limbs and swam through his brain. 

The boys laid there, puffing away on their cigarettes as they dried in the summer sun and asked each other random questions, and Luke couldn't remember a time he'd felt so at peace.

"Okay, my turn," Ashton hummed, stubbing out his fourth cigarette and turning to face Luke. The younger boy was still working on his second, but the fuzziness of his tongue and the floating feeling in his mind was enough to make him stamp it out. "Least favorite food?"

Luke cringed as he answered. "watermelon, definitely... What's your favorite color?"

Ashton hummed, throwing his hands behind his head and looking up at the trees. "Definitely red. It just speaks to me." Luke nodded even though he had no idea what Ashton meant by that.

"Most embarrassing moment?" 

Luke flushed, refusing to meet Ashton's eyes as he answered. "Eighth grade graduation, I tripped as I was walking across the stage." 

Ashton laughed, cooing at Luke and the blonde boy just shook his head as he hid it behind his hands. 

"Don't laugh at me, I can't help that I have two left feet!" 

"Okay, okay, I won't." Ashton's laughter turned to quiet giggles and Luke lifted his head to look back at the other. He wracked his brain for a question. 

"Any hidden talents?" Ashton hummed as he thought about the question. 

"I can kinda play the drums if that counts? I also sing a mean rendition of _Toxic._ " The younger boy giggled, once again hiding his face in his hands. 

"Who was your first kiss?"

Luke blushed, looking down at the blanket. "Gina Carrington. She ambushed me on the playground in fourth grade and then we both got lunch detention 'cuz the teacher caught us and I cried."

The older boy threw back his head and laughed, and even though it was an embarrassing memory for Luke, he couldn't help but laugh. Everything Ashton did was contagious.

"Oh god, that's too good," Ashton sighed, "But I meant like your first _real_ kiss."

Luke turned to him, furrowing his eyebrows in question.

"You know, like the first kiss that actually _meant_ something more." 

Luke wasn't sure how to respond. He let his finger roam around a frayed patch of the blanket and he shrugged. "I haven't really..." Luke trailed off and he looked up to see a look of shock on Ashton's face.

"Really?" Luke knew his face was probably beet red, and it wasn't all from the sun. He'd always been embarrassed about his lack of experience with girls. Michael would brag to him about the girls he hooked up with and always try to set Luke up, but it never worked out. Sure, Luke had been on dates before, but every time it got to the point where Luke was supposed to make his move, he always found a reason not to.

He told himself it wasn't that he _didn't_ want to kiss girls, he just hadn't found one he _wanted_ to kiss. Once he found a girl he found truly attractive, he was sure he'd want to kiss her.

"Yeah, I uh- yeah." Luke mumbled, trying to play it off with a shrug before he turned the question back on Ashton.

The older boy shrugged, a dopey smile on his face. "Eight grade, Luke Gallway."

Luke's eyes shot up to meet Ashton's and the older boy was smiling as he recounted the memory.

"He came over for a movie night and he kissed me while we were watching _Fellowship of the Rings._ Got to second base by the end of that movie. Man, that was a good night. " Ashton smirked as he reminisced, and Luke's eyes followed the shape of his lips.

"L-Luke?"

Ashton's eyes shot over to the younger boy and his eyes twinkled with something Luke couldn't make out.

"Guess I got a thing for Lukes."

Luke's breath hitched in his throat and he immediately looked away as he felt the color flush to his face. His stomach was knotting in ways it never had before and he didn't understand it. He'd never been so flustered around anyone in his life.

Luke was just about to open his mouth to respond when his phone began ringing in his pants pocket. He cursed, reaching over and digging his phone out of the pile of discarded clothes. By the time he reached his phone, the call had ended. The voicemail notification popped up on his screen alongside 4 calls and 6 unread messages, and he winced as he saw the time. 12:30pm. He was supposed to go to the store with Michael at 11:30.

"Shit," He cursed, turning towards Ashton. "Do you think you could give me a ride to Michael's? I was supposed to meet him an hour ago."

Ashton looked disappointed, but agreed nonetheless, standing up and pulling on his clothes as Luke did the same. By the time the boys returned to the car, it was already 12:45pm and Luke had spoken with Michael, reassuring him that he'd be at his house by 1:30.

"Ugh, he's gonna kick my ass, we've been planning this game day release for weeks, I can't believe I missed it." Luke sighed, throwing his head back against the rest as Ashton drove.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have convinced you to come with me when you already had plans."

"No! No, don't apologize" Luke reassured, too quickly, might he add. He cleared his throat, looking out the window to hide the blush on his cheeks. "I had a great time with you today."

He looked over in time to see the smile return to Ashton's face. "I did too."

They road in relative silence as they made their way back to town, enjoying the summer breeze as it blew through the open windows and the soft melodies of indie rock as it played through the speakers.

Almost too soon, Ashton was pulling up outside Michael's house.

"Thank you for today, I had a great time." Luke grinned as he went to pull open the door, but a hand on his leg stopped him. He looked over to see Ashton biting his lip, almost like he was contemplating what he was about to say next.

"There's this house party on Friday," He said slowly. "come with me." It wasn't a question, but Luke could see the hope twinkle in his eye as he waited for Luke to answer.

He nodded, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could even process them. "I'd love to."

Ashton smiled, the confidence returning to his stature as he pressed his shoulders back, leaning over to grab Luke's phone from his hand. He texted himself from it, grinning as he placed the phone back in Luke's hands.

"I'll text you the details."

Luke nodded, eyes not leaving the place where Ashton's fingers still brushed his own holding onto his phone. Hesitantly, Ashton retracted his hand, but not before letting his finger tips run over the back of Luke's knuckles. His skin pulsed where Ashton touched it.

"Bye, Ash." The words came out breathy, almost a sigh as Luke forced himself to open the door and climb out of the car.

"Bye, Lu." Ashton smiled, his gleaming white teeth on display as he stared directly into Luke's eyes. "I'll see you Friday."

With a final wave, Ashton pulled away from the curb and Luke made his way up Michael's front porch. He knew he was about to get chewed out by his best friend for being late, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

All he cared about now was _Friday._


	5. Chapter 5

Growing up with two older brothers, Luke learned quickly how to lie. What he didn't learn, was how to lie well.

"You told her we were _what?_ " Michael laughed as he fell back on the bed, shaking his head in disbelief. Luke sighed, taking a seat at his computer desk and spinning around. He didn't want Michael to see how embarrassed he was.

"Oh c'mon, it's not that unbelievable!"

Michael sat up, eyebrow quirked as he stared at his best friend. Sometimes Luke could be so naive.

"So we're going to a _musical_ , huh?" Michael couldn't help the snort that followed. "literally, Luke, of all lies to tell Mama Liz, you tell her we're going to a _musical_? Two 17 year old boys. Going to a musical together. On a Friday night. "

"I panicked!" Luke groaned, throwing his head down in his hands.

"What happens when she asks what musical we're going to? Luke, you don't know any musicals!"

"I know!" Luke thumped his head down on his desk a few times before turning towards his best friend. "I just didn't want her to know we were going to the party."

Immediately after Ashton dropped Luke off at Michael's, he'd burst through the front door of his best friend's house and raved about the honey haired boy for nearly an hour. Even after they had returned from the comic store's release party, he was still going on about Ashton's invitation to the house party Friday.

It had taken a lot of convincing and the promise of getting pizza after for Michael to finally agree to be Luke's plus one. And here they were, Friday night, and Luke was understandably panicking.

"Why? You're 17! You're supposed to go to parties! Now she probably thinks we're fucking or some shit." Luke choked on the sip of water he'd just taken.

"What?! Why would she think that?!"

"I don't know, Luke, maybe because instead of telling your mom a _believable lie_ for two teenage boys, you told her we were going to a fucking musical! That just screams ' _we're homosexual and proud'_ , which I'm all for, but no offense babe, you're not my type. You have zero muscles and a smaller dick than me."

Luke scowled, throwing the nearest object (a dirty t-shirt) at Michael's head. "Asshole." He mumbled.

"You know I'm just teasing you, sweetums." Michael walked over to pinch Luke's cheeks and the younger boy slapped his hand away.

"You're so mean to me."

"Only cuz I love you." Michael placed a sloppy kiss on Luke's cheek before walking over to the blonde's closet. "Okay, so what are you wearing?"

Luke's brow furrowed as he glanced down at his current outfit. "What's wrong with what I have on?" He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. Perfectly acceptable party attire as far as Luke was concerned. He'd only been to a couple parties in his high school career, but in his experience being underdressed was much better than being over dressed.

"You'll never impress a guy like Ashton in an old gym shirt."

Luke scoffed. "Okay, one: I'm not trying to impress Ashton, and two: this isn't a gym shirt."

"I can literally see the old sweat marks under your arms, idiot."

Luke groaned, striding over to his bed and throwing himself down so that his face was buried in the pillows. Michael sighed, walking over to take a seat next to his friend and rubbing his back. It was quiet for a moment as Michael tried to think of the best way to approach what he wanted to ask.

"Lu, you know I mean it when I say I love you, right?" Luke turned his head just enough to glance at Michael out of the corner of his eye. "You were the first person I told when I realized I was pan and I'll always be grateful for how supportive you were... And you know I'd be just as supportive if you were to-"

"I'm not gay." Luke was quick to answer, the words leaving his mouth like a rehearsed mantra. Michael quirked his eyebrow, but nodded regardless. He'd had his suspicions for awhile now, especially after Luke's fiasco of a homecoming date with Missy, but he was starting to think Luke wasn't so much scared as oblivious. It didn't matter though, Michael would wait as long as it took to be there for his best friend. And, if Michael's suspicions _were_ correct, maybe this Ashton guy was just the push Luke needed to come to terms with his sexuality.

"Okay."

They fell into a silence as Luke thought, his head swirling with Michael's words and the image of Ashton's soft pink lips. He'd tried avoiding any and all thoughts of his sexuality since meeting Ashton, but it was difficult. Especially when his stomach flipped at the mere thought of the hazel eyed boy. Luke had pretended for the past few weeks that the topic of his known (unknown?) sexuality didn't bother him, but now that he was confronted with it, his stomach felt uneasy. So, Luke did what Luke always did best.

He evaded.

"So, if I shouldn't wear this, then what should I wear?"

***

Michael pulled his car up to the curb outside the house and turned off the ignition. As the sound of the engine faded away, the two boys could hear the soft thumping of bass through the walls and Luke gulped. This was his first official 'non-high-school' party, and to say he was nervous would be an understatement.

"You don't think I'm too overdressed?" Luke asked for the hundredth time since the boys left the house. After letting Michael spend 30 minutes dressing him, they finally decided to head out, but not before receiving a suspicious smile from Liz and the promise of 'being safe'. Michael had simply laughed it off, pulling Luke along to the car as the younger boy groaned in embarrassment.

Michael turned towards Luke, making a show of it as he looked over his outfit: all white converse, skin tight black jeans and a half buttoned white dress shirt French tucked in the front. "Like I told you before, you look good. I'd fuck you."

Luke huffed as he stepped out of the car. The house in front of them looked like any other, a small ranch style with a large window overlooking the yard. It wasn't the typical high school basement party, that much was clear by looking through the window to see a handful of older looking individuals holding bottles as they talked and laughed. Luke gulped, his eyes trained on the window as Michael dragged him towards the door.

"Ashton know we're here yet?" Michael asked as they stood in front of the door, debating whether to just open it and head on in or wait for Ashton.

"I just texted him, said he'd come get us." Luke mumbled, eyes still locked on the people inside the living room. Before Luke was ready, the doorknob turned and Ashton stood in front of them, a large dopey grin on his face. The younger boy took a moment to study the other, his gaze lingering on the exposed chest hair from the low buttoned black short sleeved shirt he was wearing. Luke tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it. There was no denying that Ashton looked good, and Luke was... what? Jealous? That must have been it. He was jealous of how good the older boy looked. 

"Lu, you made it!" Luke couldn't help but smile as Ashton pulled him in for a hug.

"Yeah, told you I would."

Ashton nodded, releasing Luke and taking a step back to stand in front of Michael. "You must be Michael," he held out his hand and the red haired boy took it, the two coming in for a quick hug before Michael stepped back, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"The one and only. I'm sure Luke talks about me constantly," Michael joked and Ashton just laughed, nodding. "And you must be Ashton. I've heard _lots_ about you."

Luke glared at his best friend out of the corner of his eye, hoping he got the message to _please shut the fuck up._

The oldest boy smirked, leaning against the doorway as his eyes flicked from Michael's to Luke's. It was the first time that night Luke and Ashton had made direct eye contact and Luke gasped. Ashton's eyes were exceptionally green tonight, the usual golden hue hidden due to the contrasting redness of his droopy eyes.

"All good things, I hope."

"Oh absolutely."

Luke reached over and elbowed his best friend, who just laughed. "Okay, well, it looks like the party's already started and I need to play catch up, show us to the drinks?" It was times like these that Luke was grateful to have such an outgoing best friend, because if it were up to him, he'd probably spend the rest of the night standing on the porch just staring at the honey haired boy.

Ashton nodded, gesturing for the boys to follow him as they entered the house. Luke took in his surroundings as they entered, the smell hitting him before anything else. He'd never smoked marijuana before, but he recognized the odor from the 3rd floor boys bathroom at school. Unlike the typical high school party, the overhead lights of the house were on, illuminating the 20 or so people in the house. It wasn't an overly large space, but it was enough for the people inside to roam freely. There was a microphone in the corner along with a guitar and an amp, and the coffee table in the middle of the room was littered with drug paraphernalia.

"Wow, now this is a fuckin' party." Michael mumbled as he discretely pointed to the three girls sitting around the coffee table cutting up tabs of acid as they sipped on beers.

Luke felt so out of his league. He was the puny little freshman at the senior party and he desperately hoped he wouldn't make a fool of himself. He stayed close behind Ashton as the older boy led them through the house and into the kitchen.

"So we got some _Coors_ , a couple random type of seltzers and some harder liquors, so I guess pick your poison." Ashton gestured to a dining room table which was covered in cans and big bottles of soda for mixers. Michael dove right in, grabbing a bottle of beer and popping the tab. Luke froze while staring at all of the options. He didn't know what to take. Sure, him and Michael had gotten drunk a couple times after stealing a couple bottles of random liquor from Liz and Andy's stash, but he hadn't drank enough to know what he liked. There were too many options.

"Not sure?" As if reading his mind, Ashton leaned over and whispered in Luke's ear, and the blonde jumped a bit. Ashton chuckled.

"I, uh, I've just never really- I'm not much of a drinker..." He finished lamely, letting his eyes scan once more over the unfamiliar names on the bottles.

"No worries, Babe," One of Ashton's hands reached out and held Luke loosely around the waist as he reached with the other to grab a white can. Luke blushed, whether it be at the pet name or the feeling of Ashton's hand against his hip, he wasn't sure.

"Here." Ashton popped the tab and handed it to Luke who hesitantly took a sip. He hummed at the fizzy, slightly fruity taste and took a larger gulp. It reminded him of the carbonated waters his mom occasionally brought home from _Costco_. "You like?" Luke nodded and Ashton smiled, boldly squeezing Luke's hip.

"Seltzer it is then. Not the easiest to get drunk off, but tastes good." Luke took another sip, giggling as the fizziness tickled his nose.

"Thanks, Ash." Ashton watched as Luke gulped down half of the can, and just as he was about to speak again, another body in the kitchen interrupted.

"Oh, so you're just going to ditch me tonight? I see how it is."

The three boys whipped around, and while Luke and Michael stared in confusion, Ashton just laughed.

"Yeah, well, I found someone cuter." Ashton teased, tightening his grip around Luke's waist and pulling him into his side. Luke blushed, his eyes darting over to his best friend who he was sure would tease him immensely. But Michael wasn't even paying attention, too enthralled with the newest addition to the group.

Luke's eyes slid over to the new boy, taking in his tanned tattooed skin and the big smile on his face. There was no denying the boy was handsome, with raven black hair and plump pink lips, Luke knew that he was exactly Michael's type, even down to the two-toned bowling shirt that showed off his fairly impressive muscles.

"Fine then, guess I'll just have to find my own cutie." The mystery boy sighed, his pout quickly transforming into a smirk as he noticed Luke's red haired best friend. He walked over, holding out his hand in front of a stunned looking Michael. "Hi cutie," He winked, shooting daggers over to Ashton as the older boy snorted.

"Smooth, Cal."

"Oh fuck off, Irwin." The other boy, Cal, groaned before turning back to Michael with a slightly more embarrassed expression. "I don't think we've met. I'm Calum, best friends with this asshole since 2002." He jerked his thumb over towards Ashton and the older of the bunch just rolled his eyes.

Michael smirked, a dangerous twinkle in his eye as he took his outstretched hand and shook it. "I'm Michael. Luke's best friend since he got a boner in 7th grade social studies before a presentation and I covered for him by going first." The two older boys laughed as Luke reached out and punched his friend in the shoulder, the deep scarlet of his blush evident to everyone in the room.

" _Hey!_ "

Calum laughed, faltering when he let his eyes dart over to where Ashton still had his arm wrapped around the young blonde. "Wait, shit, is this _the_ Luke?"

Ashton's arm tightened the slightest bit around Luke and the blonde blushed, glancing down at the can in his hand. "Cal," Ashton's tone was warning, and the boy threw up his hands with a smug grin.

"It's nice to meet you, _Luke_ , I've heard a lot about you." Calum waved at the blonde boy who smiled, returning the wave as he took another sip of his drink. "Well, as fun as it is standing around the kitchen while there's a party going on, Harry's about to play any minute now so I'm gonna go grab a seat." Calum turned towards Michael, a dazzling smile on his face as he held out his hand. "Come with me?"

Michael glanced to where Luke was stood with Ashton, smirking as he turned back towards the tanned boy and reached out to take his hand. "Don't mind if I do. Have fun you two, but not too much fun!" Without waiting to see how Luke would respond, Michael followed the other boy back out into the living room, leaving Ashton and Luke alone together in the kitchen.

"Gotta love best friends, huh?" Ashton joked, taking a drink from his own beer before gesturing towards Luke's drink. "Need another?"

Luke shook the can, noticing it was nearly empty and he nodded as he finished it off. Ashton returned his attention to the table, and Luke watched on as Ashton reached for a large glass bottle filled with an amber liquid. "You ever do a shot, Luke?" Luke shrugged, admiring the way Ashton's arm tendons flexed as he grabbed two shot glasses and poured them full.

"A few, Michael and I have tried vodka and gin..."

Ashton made a face as he grabbed a couple lime wedges from a bowl and a shaker of salt. "Oh god, probably turned you off to all liquor, huh? Well, we'll set that straight. Lick your hand, will you?"

Luke's eyes widened as he realized what Ashton was setting them up for. He'd heard the horror stories about tequila and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally end up spitting it out all over Ashton, or worse, puking right there on the floor. "I- I don't know, Ash, I've never had tequila before, I don't-"

"Hey, you trust me, right?" Ashton reached out, his hazy eyes intently focusing on Luke's clear blue ones as he let his hand graze over Luke's arm. Luke nodded, making the older boy smile and grab his hand. "Tequila shots aren't as bad as people make them out to be. You just don't wanna get too drunk off of it. Talk about a ruined night." Ashton chuckled as if relieving some memory and he made eye contact with Luke before he reached out, swiping his tongue along the gap between Luke's index finger and thumb. Luke gasped at the contact, a shiver running down the length of his spine and settling deep in his stomach. Before he could fully process what just happened, Ashton was pouring salt over the place he had just licked.

"Your turn."

Luke bit his lip as Ashton hovered his hand below his chin. With a deep breath, Luke leaned down, hesitantly licking along the same place on Ashton's hand. He wasn't as confident in his action as Ashton, choosing to lightly trace the older boy's skin with the tip of his tongue. Nonetheless, it pulled a groan from deep in Ashton's chest, and the blonde boy pulled away with a flushed face.

"Shit." Ashton's voice was breathy, and it caused Luke's hand to shake as he poured salt over the other's hand just like Ashton had done previously. "Okay, now, hold the shot in the hand covered in salt. You'll thank me later."

Ashton handed one of the shot glasses to Luke before grabbing his own. "and then the lime in the other," he grabbed both the lime wedges and Luke thanked him as he held it in his free hand. "Okay, so here's how it goes. Salt, shot, lime. Got it?"

Luke nodded, letting his eyes glance over the materials in his hands as his heart raced. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous to do something as easy as taking a shot.

"Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three." Ashton wasted no time in licking the salt off his hand and downing the shot. With only slight hesitation, Luke did the same.

The strong liquor burned Luke's tongue and he swallowed it down before he could think about it too much. He winced as it travelled down his throat, causing an uncomfortable warmth to spread throughout his chest. With pinched eyes, he threw the lime into his mouth, biting down and savoring the sour taste that quickly overpowered the tequila.

"Holy fuck," Luke coughed as he spit the lime wedge out. He opened his eyes, wincing at the burning still in his chest. He looked over to Ashton who had a dopey smile on his face. The shot wasn't nearly as bad as Luke was expecting, and the burning in his chest already turned to a warmth in his stomach. The adrenaline coursing through his veins from fear quickly turned to confidence with the single shot, and he now understood why people drank alcohol in the first place. Only one shot deep and Luke was feeling _great_. 

"Fun right?" Ashton reached up, using his thumb to get rid of a few flakes of salt that were stuck to Luke's lower lip. His touch lingered against Luke's lip, and the younger boy boldly stuck out his tongue and let it quickly swipe over Ashton's finger. He looked up, watching as Ashton's eyes darkened slightly as he retracted his hand.

"Atta boy, now the party can really begin." 


End file.
